Dr. Culver salt for a few moments apparently in deep study.

“My advice,” said he, “is to see Tillotson.  He has an office in the Hotel Pelham, up by the Public Library, you know.”

“Is he a ’regular’?” asked Quincy.

“Well,” said Culver, “I don’t think he is.  For a fact I know he is not an M.D., but I fancy that the diploma that be holds from the Almighty is worth more to suffering humanity than a good many issued by the colleges.”

“You are a pretty broad-minded allopath,” said Quincy, “to give such a sweeping recommendation to a quack.”

“I didn’t say he was a quack,” replied Culver.  “He is a natural-born healer, and he uses only nature’s remedies in his practice.  Go and see him, Quincy, and judge for yourself.”

“But,” said Quincy, “I had hoped that you—­”

“But I couldn’t,” broke in Paul.  “I am an emergency doctor.  If baby has the croup, or Jimmy has the measles, or father has the lung fever, they call me in, and I get them well as soon as possible.  But if mother-in-law has some obscure complaint I am too busy to give the time to study it up, and they wouldn’t pay me for it if I did.  Medicine, like a great many other things, is going into the hands of the specialists eventually, and Tillotson is one of the first of the new school.”

At that moment a maid announced that some one wished to see Dr. Culver, and Quincy took a hurried leave.

He found his father, mother, and sisters at home, and breakfast was quickly served after his arrival.  They all said he was looking much better, and all asked him when he was coming home.  He gave an evasive answer, saying that there were lots of good times coming down in Eastborough and he didn’t wish to miss them.  He told his father he was improving his time reading and writing, and would give a good account of himself when he did return.

He had to wait an hour before he could secure an interview with Dr. Tillotson.  The latter had a spare day in each week, that day being Thursday, which he devoted to cases that he was obliged to visit personally.  Quincy arranged with him to visit Eastborough on the following Thursday, and by calling a carriage managed to catch the half-past eleven train for that town, and reached his boarding place a little before two o’clock.  He had arranged with the driver to wait for a letter that he wished to have mailed to Boston that same afternoon.

He went in by the back door, and as he passed through the kitchen, Mandy made a sign, and he went to her.

“Hiram waited till one o’clock,” said she, “but he had to go home, and he wanted me to tell you that the surprise party is coming off next Monday night, and they are going to get there at seven o’clock, so as to have plenty of time for lots of fun, and Hiram suspects,” and her voice fell to a whisper, “that Strout is going to try and work the Deacon for that five hundred in cash to put up for the grocery store next Tuesday.  That’s all,” said she.